"You needn't hurry just because of me. Besides, I would like a few
moments to prepare myself for my fate. Even a murderer is given a little
time."

"Not a moment, Ed. We had better get this thing settled as soon as
possible."

"Perhaps you are right," he murmured, with a deep sigh. "Well, if we
Britishers, as Miss S. calls us, ever faced the Americans with as faint
a heart as I do now, I don't wonder we got licked."

"Don't say 'licked,' Ed."

"I believe it's historical. Oh, I see. You object to the word, not to
the allegation. Well, I won't cavil about that. All my sympathy just now
is concentrated on one unfortunate Britisher. My dear, let the sacrifice
begin."

Mrs. Mason went to the stairway and called--

"Eva, dear, can you come down for a moment? We want you to help us out
of a difficulty."

Miss Sommerton appeared smilingly, smoothing down the front of the dress
that had taken the place of the one she travelled in. She advanced
towards Mason with sweet compassion in her eyes, and that ill-fated
man thought he had never seen any one look so altogether
charming--excepting, of course, his own wife in her youthful days. She
seemed to have smoothed away all the Boston stiffness as she smoothed
her dress.